Late today we did learn of an american music pioneer lost. He founded the velvet underground and there were too many songs to count. Jon donovan on his legend and a long walk on the wild side. &#9834; &#9834; Reporter: He only topped the charts ones in his career. Walk on the wild side, 1973. Record sales were never the point of lou reed. He was more important than that. A member of that small circle of rock musicians that other musicians recognize as changing the genre. IN THE 60s IT WAS AS SONG WRITER And singer for the velvet underground where he took rock to darker places than it had been before. Sunday morning, one of those songs that in its time unlike anything ever heard. Reed was the son of an accountant in brooklyn, new york. He started out thinking he wanted to be a journalist or film maker. He did a college stint as a radio deejay, playing other people's music. WITH THE 70s REED WENT SOLO. That's when walk on the wild side came and travels that saw him in 2000 playing before the late john paul ii. His health was a challenge in recent years, rolling stone reported a liver transplant. Reed didn't talk about that, not even on twitter where he posted up until the last day, link to a facebook page which tonight is filling up with tributes from those who get it, why lou reed mattered. It was the music, nothing else. John donovan, abc. Remembering a giant tonight.

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